Paid Time Off Donation Policy
Why Offer Employees The Ability To Donate PTO?
How Does Donating PTO Work?
Donating PTO is a great way to encourage employees
The company should treat donating PTO as if it were
to donate because it enables them to contribute without
paying out an employee’s vacation to the employee, and
having to provide cash out of pocket. It is also a good way
is processed the same in all ways except that instead of
for a company to reduce its liability for having too much
the check being written to the employee, it is written to a
unused PTO on the books. Some things to consider before
charitable organization.
offering this as an option to employees:
• Does the corporation have enough cash on hand to
Because the donated amount is compensation earned by
pay out the PTO donated?
the employee the company must remit employer payroll
• Is there a limit to how much PTO each employee can
taxes and withhold employee payroll taxes from it. The
donate?
gross amount gets reported as compensation on the W-2’s,
• What is the time frame for when an employee can
but the net amount is what is contributed to the charitable
donate their PTO (i.e., is it at a specific time of year, or
organization.
is it a total amount that can be donated per fiscal or
calendar year)?
Employees are able to claim this donation as a charitable
• Will the company designate the organization(s) an
deduction for their personal tax purposes. The
employee can support through their PTO or can the
contribution should be noted on the pay stub, just like
employee choose for themselves (as long as it fits
other payroll notations. This is the employee’s proof of the
within the 501(c)(3) guidelines).
charitable contribution.
Entrepreneurs’ Foundation of Silicon Valley Community
Please note: Entrepreneurs’ Foundation of Silicon Valley
Foundation recommends that there still be enough PTO
Community Foundation is not a tax, payroll or HR
on the books for the employee to use should they need or
compensation expert, so as always with these kinds of
want it. For example, some companies only allow
things, you should double check with your in-house
employees to donate PTO if they have over two-weeks of
experts.
PTO accumulated
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